EZBoards - Generate kneeboards (flights, comms, stpts, weather) from briefings
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EZBoards - Instant single-click briefing to kneeboards conversion for Falcon BMS.
By “Logic”, 2023-12-02.
>>> Download (V13 - for BMS 4.37)
>>> Download (V10.1 - for BMS 4.36)
>>> Download (V7 - for BMS 4.35)
(You can dezip to and run from anywhere - It’ll find the BMS folder and callsign via the Registry.)
Introduction
EZBoards is a single-click solution to generate kneeboards from mission briefings for Falcon BMS.
EZBoards will generate kneeboard texture files based on data from your briefing.txt and callsign.ini files.
The following sections will be generated:- Package Elements, with additional Pilot Roster info and fixed presets for IDM/TCN.
- Comm Ladder.
- Steerpoints.
- Targets: Target steerpoints with descriptions if they have been assigned.
- Weather report.
See example images.
All but the Targets data will be taken from birefing.txt, Targets data from callsign.ini.
EZBoards is intended for casual missions and does not intend to replace WDP or other tools for more thorough mission planning.
It has the advantage that the kneeboards are generated nearly instantly and with a single shortcut click.Prerequisites
In order to see kneeboards in 3D cockpit, you need to activate the 3D pilot model.
Pilot model can be activated in BMS settings Setup/Graphics/Pilot Model.
Or toggled by pressing Alt-C, P in the cockpit.Falcon BMS must be configured to generate text briefing files (as opposed to HTML ones).
This is the default.
When in doubt, verify Configuration/General/Briefing/Debriefing/
Make sure “1. Briefing Output to File” is selected.
Make sure “3. HTML Briefings” is NOT selected.Installation
You can unzip the package to anywhere you want and run from there - It’ll find the BMS folder and callsign via the Registry.
It is recommended to create a shortcut to EZBOARDS.BAT.EZBoards requires .NET Core Runtime 3.1
You can download and install it from here: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/thank-you/runtime-3.1.32-windows-x64-installer .
(if not already present on your system)Usage
EZBoards should be run as the very last step in your mission planning, before comitting to 3D.
That is:- Plan your mission as usual,
Make sure COMMS and IFF plans are loaded properly in your DTC,
Define target steerpoints if appropriate. - Save your DTC.
(This will save the callsign.ini file which is the input for the target steerpoints) - Go to the Briefing window. Push the “Print” button in the top-right corner.
(This will save the briefing.txt file which is the main input for EZBoards.) - Run the EZBOARDS.BAT file. (You don’t need to quit BMS!)
=> A console window opens, where information about the progress is shown.
The whole operation shouldn’t last more than a few seconds.
When “Done.” and “Press any key to continue” appears, you can close the window.
=> Your kneeboards have been generated and saved to the appropriate BMS texture file.
=> You can now commit to 3D and enjoy your kneeboards in the cockpit!
Automated Usage with EZWatch
Since version 5, EZBoards can be run automatically whenever the briefing file content changes.
That is, whenever you press the “Print” button in BMS.
Just run EZWATCH.BAT.
It is self-explanatory.View briefing on other devices
Since version 6, EZBoards includes a small HTTP server that allows to view the generated briefing files on other device using a standard web server.
Just run EZSERVE.BAT and follow the instructions.
You need to allow network access to onehttpd-0.8.exe when Windows warns about it on first use.Since version 13, EZBoards includes EZ2PAGES.BAT, with which the briefing will be rendered to PNG images on two separate pages, for use with software like OpenKneeboards.
Notes, Known issues and limitations
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EZBoards should run on Windows 7 or higher. But i wasn’t able to test. Tell me if you encounter any incompatibilities.
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EZBoards has been developed for the Korea KTO theater.
For use with other theaters, edit the TARGET variable in EZBOARDS.BAT accordingly.
(Ask on forums if you don’t know how) -
Given the variable content of the Package-, Steerpoints- and Targets- sections, when these sections grow too big they will simply push the other sections down and out of the page.
EZBoards has been designed for reasonable content of these sections. (Up to 4 flights in package, some 20 steer- and target steerpoints) -
Don’t like fonts, colors? They are configurable to some extent via the style.css sheet!
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The intermediate HTML and PNG files are preserved as well, you might want to use these for other purposes, like display on an external display device.
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Since v10 EZBoards looks into the Theaters.txt file to find the name of the texture file. This might be edited for other theaters.
Acknowledgements
EZBoards uses
- wkhtmltoimage, a command line tools to render HTML into various image formats.
https://wkhtmltopdf.org/ - Texconv, an external command-line tool to perform batched texture conversions.
https://github.com/microsoft/DirectXTex/wiki/Texconv - OneHTTPD, a minimalist web server.
https://code.google.com/archive/p/onehttpd/ - Ben Blamey’s when_changed, a file watchdog for Windows.
https://github.com/benblamey/when_changed
Example Images (full size)
Suggestions and feedback welcome!
Contact Logic - [email protected] -
FAQ
Q: Does this replace Weapon Delivery Planner (WDP)? In what is it different from WDP?
A: It depends. First of all, if you’re happy with the kneeboards from WDP, by all means stick with it.
EZBoards is a lightweight alternative for casual sorties that don’t require in-depth planning and is limited to generating kneeboards only, whereas with WDP you can do a lot of other stuff.
EZBoards generates your kneeboards in under a second in one click, whereas WDP asks to load a campaign first, pick your package, flight etc.
Also the layout of the kneeboards is different, which is a matter of taste.Q: I like the EZBoards kneeboards but still want other pages from WDP. Can i combine the two?
A: Sure! EZBoards only overwrites one left+right double-page of kneeboards, by default the first one. WDP overwrites whatever you tell it to. But you can explicitely tell it to leave pages alone by selecting the “Don’t Change” option.
This leaves you plenty of possible combinations to use both tools one after the other to get whatever you want.Q: I like the pages EZBoards generates, but don’t need them on kneeboards. Rather want them on some other display. Possible?
A: EZBoards generates a HTML page (briefing.html + style.css) and PNG image (briefing.png) of the briefing as an intermediate step.
Those can be used as is, wherever you see fit.
You may edit the BAT file and add an explicit “EXIT 0” after the appropriate step if you don’t want the rest to be executed.As of version 6, EZBoards includes a small HTTP server that can serve these intermediate files over the network so you can view them on other devices directly (via a web browser).
Run EZSERVE.BAT and follow the instructions. -
Looking forward to trying this out!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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will this replace all of the pages on the kneeboard or just the first page. just wondering if we will still have the rest of them to scroll through. i am at work so i can’t see for myself.
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will this replace all of the pages on the kneeboard or just the first page. just wondering if we will still have the rest of them to scroll through. i am at work so i can’t see for myself.
It will only replace the first left and right page.
(which texture file it replaces can be easily changed).
But the limitation is that it always generates one left+right double page. -
that is great. thanks
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Thank you Logic for your tool - it looks like a nice addition to WDP. I just gave it a go, but it crashes as hostfxr.dll seems to be missing (see the screenshots for details). The batch script actually keeps running and finally generates a dds file that contains only blank pages. The blank dds is eventually moved to KoreaObj too.
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Thank you Logic for your tool - it looks like a nice addition to WDP. I just gave it a go, but it crashes as hostfxr.dll seems to be missing (see the screenshots for details). The batch script actually keeps running and finally generates a dds file that contains only blank pages. The blank dds is eventually moved to KoreaObj too.
Thanks for the feedback!
Could you try to see if installing the .NET Core Runtime 3.1.11 https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-core/3.1 will solve the problem? -
Thank you Logic for your tool - it looks like a nice addition to WDP. I just gave it a go, but it crashes as hostfxr.dll seems to be missing (see the screenshots for details). The batch script actually keeps running and finally generates a dds file that contains only blank pages. The blank dds is eventually moved to KoreaObj too.
had this issue today, you need to update the runtime app on Microsoft site. After that I had another error about a runtime version. I downloaded both and it works.
Later I discovered it works just in Korea, as said in 1st post, didn’t give a look in bat file to edit it.after I managed with runtime issues I am not able to enter in 3d anymore, pite screen starts and then ctd.
I was able to enter in 3d unchecking the pilot model in setup, then use alt c p in the pit.
Did you have experience about this?Great tool indeed
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@dema I didnt have issues. I have the pilot model on by default. I can only suspect that some of your kneeboard textures are corrupt? Try replacing them with the original ones.
The files are 7982.dds to 7997.dds in \Data\TerrData\Objects\KoreaObj.
EZBoards replaces only the 7982.dds file.
If you didn’t back it up, you can just copy one of the others (eg 7997.dds) to replace 7982.dds to see if it fixes the issue.
If so, then it means that the file generated by EZBoards can cause trouble on some machines and i need to look into it to find out why. -
I’ve used this a lot this evening. Really useful and easy to use (once I’d installed the .net dependencies). A couple of things that may or may not be possible that would make it even better - first, for CAP, having the departure time from the CAP. 2nd, in the dark, how does one read the knee boards?
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In the dark, how does one read the knee boards?
Turn on the console flood lights Shift-Alt-C, I think, on the BMS Full Key.
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Just a few lines to say I downloaded .NET Core Runtime 3.1.11 and EZ Boards and it worked perfectly for me .
The inclusion of the mission briefing and other information on the knee boards is an excellent addition to the sim.
Thanks Logic.
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Hi Logic,
Just a suggestion but have you thought about using a script language such as AutoIt in place of the batch file, with just a couple of clicks you can compile them to .exe and avoid having to display the command window. I’m using something similar here:
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?41095-Ice’s-Falcon-BMS-Profile-Updated-for-BMS-4-35So here is part of my AutoIt script partially converted to EzBoards as an example:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/4o55tjjmmz7q2vz/EzBoards.au3/file
And that will work for all of the addon theaters.
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@linknet:
Yeah, solutions there could have been plenty.
I chose BAT file because it’s available on every Windows and kind of self-documenting.
Then free for everyone to adapt and rip it apart.Another interesting idea would be to have a process monitor the BMS briefing.txt file for modifications and then run EZBoards immediately. This way, the click on the Print button would be sufficient have the boards generated.
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A stupid question:
How does one run the Bat file without quitting BMS?
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A stupid question:
How does one run the Bat file without quitting BMS?
Oh, well you need to alt-tab out i guess.
Most people are running BMS windowed nowadays (check graphics settings) and the 2D window doesn’t even span half the screen on modern sized monitors.
Then a well-placed shortcut on the desktop will do the trick. -
Many thanks!
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Updated to V2.
- Now generated DDS files use exact same parameters as original BMS ones. Just in case it could have caused incompatibilities.
- Own flight is highlighted green now.
- Other minor changes.
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This is very nice for a quick briefing for instance for training missions or simple TEs, where WDP is more for larger/complex missions. One thing I have always missed from the one-page briefing is some airfield information for main airfield and alternate, like TACAN and ILS frequency. Are those things easily accessible for you to add to the kneeboards ?